The Five Scarves - Elemental Control Part 2
by RaceProUK
Summary: (Book 2 of 3, Part 2 of 5) Who was the bomber, and why were they trying to kill Hanna and Rob? And will promises made to them be honoured?
1. Chapter 1

A lone figure approaches the remnants of the Elementals' compound, adhering resolutely to the shadows, fiery orange fur and rich red hair darkened with dirt as camouflage, her normally polished black steel nunchaku dulled.

Staying low and silent, Hanna prowls away from the treeline on all-fours, approaching what's left of the perimeter wall. Flattening herself against it, Hanna slides along to the nearest gap; a single ear is moved into position to listen for potential hazards, slowly followed by a single eye.

The eye flits around; Hanna's gaze fixes on the main gate guard tower, still remarkably intact. _That explains how someone survived._ Another scan of the debris field; cautiously, Hanna slips round the end of the wall, through the gap. _How many guards were in that tower when I torched this place? Doesn't look big enough for more than two._

Hanna takes a few moments to scan the debris once more; satisfied the way is safe, she scurries from the wall, and takes cover behind a slab of charred masonry. A large crack runs the full height; it's wide enough to spy through, narrow and shaded enough to remain hidden to all but the sharpest eye. Unclipping her binoculars from her belt, Hanna directs her attention to the top of the tower.

The angle isn't ideal; the light of the rising sun threatens to wash out the magnified view. With a silent sigh, Hanna backs away from the shard of wall, and makes her way around the edge of the former building to find a better viewpoint. An inadvertent misstep; Hanna slips, skittering rubble. Inwardly cursing, she freezes in place, ears frantically pivoting, eyes darting all around.

_No-one heard that; good._ Hanna continues with great care, eventually selecting a suitable scree slope shadowed by a section of former ceiling. Lying flat on her stomach, Hanna resumes her reconnaissance. This viewpoint is much better; her view of the chamber at the top of the guard tower is clear enough to determine no-one is in.

_Now to get up there and look around._ A quick and silent scurry, and Hanna is at the foot of the guard tower. A loud crash; Hanna freezes once more. She slowly turns to look over her shoulder; the section of ceiling she was under only moments before had collapsed, sending a sizeable dust cloud into the air. Swallowing hard to calm her nerves as she realises how close she came to being pancaked, Hanna turns her attention back to the guard tower.

_Fifty feet straight up; not ideal, but not impossible._ The wall of the guard tower offers a surprising number of hand- and footholds. Hanna psyches herself for the climb; focussed and determined, she ascends the wall with a balance of speed and care. _Don't hang around Hanna Skarlett, you're horribly exposed right now._

At the top, Hanna swiftly rolls into the chamber, ending on all fours, claws extended, ready to fight; there's no-one to greet her. _Big enough for two guards, but there's no way anyone can use this as a base of operations._ A quick scan of the room reveals only bare walls and floor, confirming suspicions. _Let's not waste any more time here._

A few minutes later, Hanna is back on solid ground; she pauses a moment to flex and massage her aching fingers. As she is about to return to the safety of the treeline, footsteps; a brief and frantic search for cover ends with Hanna slithering between two large blocks of masonry. The gap is barely wide enough; she has to breathe short and shallow, and stand awkwardly, tail between her legs. _If I'm discovered, it's 'Game Over'; it's nearly impossible to move._

The footsteps get louder; Hanna's breathing quickens as the adrenaline surge hits. _Calm down; you're hyperventilating._ Hanna closes her eyes and clears her mind; this slows her racing pulse, and her breathing returns to relative normality. Refocussing on the approaching footsteps, she realises they're retreating.

_Thank the Ancients!_ Hanna relaxes, and slides out from her masonry sandwich. _One last look around._ A methodical prowl of the debris of the three buildings reveals nothing of interest; disappointed, Hanna hastily beats a retreat to the treeline. As she is about to leave for home, she hesitates. _What if there's a hidden access? Maybe I should keep watch, just in case._

After a swift climb, Hanna perches on a suitable branch, taking care to ensure she's hidden by the foliage, yet can still see the ex-compound. _Now begins the waiting game._


	2. Chapter 2

From the treetops, concealed by the thick foliage, Hanna monitors the former compound for signs of activity. The high midday sun provides very little shade; there's no point risking being so exposed. A quick check of the time. _Three hours, and nothing. Plus I'm getting hungry. Good thing this is a fruit tree._

* * *

Rob, remaining at home to guard the Crystals, is analysing the glass daggers collected over the two weeks between finding the first Crystals and learning of the Elementals. Eschewing both sofa and chair, he is using the safe as an impromptu seat, all but one dagger laid out on the table. _That's the last one; they're just glass daggers. Nothing special about them, except proving, as if I had any doubt, that the Ethereal was a complete nutter._

A knock on the door. _Who on Avalice…?_ Electing to ignore the knock, Rob collects the daggers, and returns them to their storage location. Another knock. _Go away._ Rob returns to his perch on the safe, and picks up a book. He finds the place he bookmarked, and begins to read.

Another knock, this time more urgent.

Rob returns the bookmark between the pages with a sigh, places the book on the table, checks his binoculars are still hanging around his neck, and carefully approaches the door. Peeking through the peephole, he sees a sole interrupter; a young girl, probably about fourteen. Figuring she's just someone who's a bit lost, Rob opens the door.

"Excuse me sir," the young girl asks, "can you help me?"

"Depends on what you need help with," Rob replies.

"I fear I'm a little lost. Which is the way to Shang Tu?"

Rob points in the general direction of the mentioned city. "That way."

"Thankyou!" the girl sings, resuming her journey.

_Was she meant to be a distraction? Or maybe a lure?_ Rob scans the treeline through his binoculars; he sees nothing suspicious. _I guess not; after all, she's not the first random stranger we've had asking for directions._ Rob closes the door, and returns to his perch on the safe; he resumes his reading.

* * *

Finishing the last of the three fruits she picked for lunch, Hanna resumes her monitoring of the remains of the compound. _Not the nicest I've ever eaten, but at least they were juicy; I can save the water in my canteen for later._ Stifling a yawn, she almost misses the approaching figures. _Two of them, dressed in black; this could be interesting._

Binoculars out. _There they are; is that a marking on the chest? Too far away to tell, even at full magnification. But I don't want to risk exposing myself._ Hanna watches the two approach the ex-compound; they walk past the site without even a moment's pause, and continue on their way.

_This is looking like a waste of time; the only thing I've learned is how someone survived the immolation._ A moment's pause. _I'll give it till sunset, then head home; doesn't look like I'll pick up any leads here._


	3. Chapter 3

As the sun begins to set, Hanna yawns deeply, stretching to relieve the stiffness in her limbs. The afternoon had passed without a single soul anywhere near the former compound; the last passers-by were the two around midday. Resigned to a day wasted, Hanna sighs deeply; a slow climb down from her treetop perch gives her time to think about a rummage among the debris and rubble.

_May as well have another look._ Hanna makes her way back to the ruined buildings; this time, she walks normally, without caring for stealth. _No need to sneak around; there's no-one here to catch me anyway._ Approaching the first ruin, she decides to dig into the shallow parts of the rubble, just in case there is a hidden trapdoor or cellar access. The first ruin Hanna checks is the former barracks; there are no hidden accesses. And the former vehicle depot yields the same result.

Turning her attention to the final, largest pile of broken masonry, Hanna digs with little enthusiasm, expecting to turn up a third blank. As she is about to give in entirely, a loud wooden thunk. _A cellar door?_ Filled with renewed eagerness, Hanna clears the rubble with haste; it's simply the remains of an interior door. Hanna rocks back onto her haunches, sighing with deep exasperation.

_That confirms it: today has been an absolute waste._ Burying her head in her hands and rolling to sit on the ground, kicking her feet out in front, Hanna lets out a loud, long groan of frustration, elbows on her knees. A few moments later, she stands, takes a deep, calming breath, and starts the journey home.

* * *

Long after the sun had set, Hanna finally returns home. Trudging through the door, she sees Rob sitting on the safe, reading a book.

"Any luck?" he asks.

"None," Hanna sighs dejectedly. "The whole place is deserted."

"Not surprising; you torched it pretty thoroughly."

"But not the guard tower."

"Empty, I presume."

"Of course."

"At least that explains how someone was able to survive." Rob sighs.

"Was your day as exciting as mine?" Hanna asks after a moment's pause.

"A young girl knocked this morning, asking for directions."

"That all?"

"Yup."

Hanna sighs deeply. "Sounds like we both had fruitless days. Anyway, I'm gonna shower, then go to bed."

"It _is_ getting late," Rob agrees, bookmarking his place and setting the book on the table. "I'll sleep down here tonight; saves carrying the safe upstairs."


	4. Chapter 4

Middle of the night, two black-clad polecats watch the house. Their cloaks bear a symbol: five circles connected by lines.

"We've certainly got their attention," the female whispers, "thanks to your little 'solo mission'."

"Had it worked, we'd have the Crystals already," the male retorts.

"It's not enough; they have to _know_ we outsmarted them before they die."

"Why? Surely all that matters is getting the Crystals?"

The female sighs. "Isn't it about time you returned to the bunker?"

As the male leaves without a word, the female sneaks up to the house and climbs up to the balcony. Creeping up to the still-glassless window, she notices the sleeping fox; she freezes, waiting to see if the fox would wake or not. A few moments later, sure that her presence is still unknown, the female resumes her break-in; slithering past the foot of the bed, she makes her way to the staircase.

She doesn't notice the fox twitch her ears, open her eyes, or smile menacingly.

At the bottom of the stairs, she pauses once more; the hare sleeping on the sofa stirs, turns over, and resumes his light snoring. Assuming she hasn't woken the hare, she approaches the safe, and begins an attempt to crack it. Taking great care to keep the clicking to an absolute minimum, she makes slow but steady progress. Progress slowed further by her keeping one eye on the slumbering hare.

Thirty excruciating minutes later, the safe clicks loudly. The hare stirs once more; the intruder tenses. With a murmur, the hare resumes his snoring; the intruder visibly relaxes with a silent sigh. She opens the safe door-

"Close the safe, and I _might_ just let you live."

The intruder spins in alarm; she locks eyes with the angriest fox she's ever seen. Even in her nightgown, she's a terrifying sight to behold; claws fully extended, vicious snarl, guttural growling, and eyes of murderous intent.

"Do _not_ make me repeat myself," Hanna continues.

"I'd do as she says if I were you," Rob adds, sai in hand, tip resting on the intruder's neck.

* * *

Thirty minutes later; the intruder sits on the table, wrists securely bound behind her back, ankles firmly fixed to the table legs. She is defiantly meeting Hanna's malevolent stare and Rob's look of disdain.

"What shall we do with her?" Rob asks.

"I can think of a few ideas," Hanna responds, extending her claws and baring her teeth. The intruder's expression loses the defiance.

"It's been a while since I got my hands properly dirty," Rob remarks, raising his sai in a thrust-grip; the intruder's expression becomes fearful. "Mind if I go first?"

"Be my guest, so long as you leave something for me."

"Wait!" the intruder cries.

"Patience isn't one of my virtues," Hanna growls, "so you better make this _extremely_ good."

"I can help you unlock the power of the Crystals!" the female pleads.

"What do you think Rob?" Hanna asks, her stare unwavering. "Shall we accept her help?"

"I'm not convinced," Rob responds after a moment's thought; the intruder starts to panic.

Hanna leans down so her face is just a few inches from the intruder's; she places the tips of her claws on the intruder's throat. The intruder swallows hard and begins to quake uncontrollably; the tears running down her face confirm to Hanna she has the intruder firmly in her power.

"Call me crazy," Hanna grins menacingly, "but I think I'll give you a chance."


	5. Chapter 5

The next morning, Rob is first downstairs. The captive, now bound to the chair, is sleeping. Rob passes through to the kitchen; he gets two bottles from the fridge. Opening one on the way back to the den, he theatrically slams the other on the table; the captive wakes with a panicked yelp.

"How are you feeling?" Rob asks.

The captive looks at Rob, dead eyes sunken in her tear-stained face. "Just keep _her_ away from me," she pleads.

"I'm afraid that's not for me to determine," Rob smirks.

"Then just let me go," the female continues in desperation. "We'll never bother you again."

"Why the hurry to leave?" a new voice chimes. "We have all sorts of fun activities planned for the day ahead!"

The captive snaps her head to face the new voice; her eyes widen as she sees Hanna has entered the room.

"Don't be scared, my dear," Hanna smiles warmly. "I'm just passing through to prepare breakfast. Anything you fancy?" The captive doesn't answer. "No? You should have _something_; we've got a lot to do later, and you'll need the energy." Hanna continues to the kitchen.

"Here," Rob assures, "have a drink." He picks up the second bottle, opens it, and helps the captive to drink a good helping.

"Thankyou," she croaks weakly.

* * *

After breakfast, Hanna rebinds the captive's wrists in front of her.

"There," Hanna remarks, "that should be a lot more comfortable. The padding should stop you getting rope burn."

"I don't…" the captive mutters almost silently.

"Speak up dear; I can barely hear you."

"I don't understand," the captive responds, just about loud enough to hear clearly.

"I don't want you to hurt yourself."

"But last night…"

"I get cranky when I don't get my beauty sleep."

Hanna releases the captive's ankles from their bonds; as soon as she's free, she sprints for the front door. As she reaches for the handle, a shuriken whizzes past her ear, slicing a small gash before embedding itself in the jamb. The captive freezes, petrified.

"Where are you going? There's no rush," Hanna growls warmly.

"Are you done terrifying the poor girl?" Rob asks with a smirk, returning from the kitchen with a small rucksack full of supplies. "Remember, she's agreed to help us."

"I know," Hanna grins. "Have you got everything?"

"Enough food and water for a few days, and some medical supplies, in case you decide to get 'persuasive' with our guide" Rob answers. "Oh, and this," he adds, handing Hanna a basic double-baldric with a yard long leash.

"Useful. When did you make it?"

"Just now. It's primitive, but it'll work well enough."

Hanna fixes the new double-baldric over the quivering captive's torso; she then ties the leash to her wrist.

"Well, that's everything," she confirms. "Let's go!"


	6. Chapter 6

For the remainder of the morning, the captive leads Hanna and Rob towards a destination only she knows; despite numerous sweet requests, the captive was unwilling to reveal to Hanna the intended destination, instead opting to say very little at all. Once, the captive tried to break free; all that resulted was pulling Hanna off her feet, causing herself to fall almost immediately after. Hanna didn't react well to the escape attempt; the captive's head bandage hides the shredded remains of the gashed ear.

As the sun passes the zenith of its daily journey across the sky, the party stops for lunch.

"Looks like it's going to rain later," Hanna remarks, gazing at the gathering clouds as she idly munches.

"If it does, I'm using your cloak," Rob states.

"Why mine? You have your own."

"It's not exactly waterproof, is it? Not after what you did to it."

"Oh yeah," Hanna mutters quietly. "I never did get around to replacing it."

During the conversation, the captive, her back to her captors, had been working on weakening her double-baldric enough to break free and run. It's frustrating work, but eventually enough threads have been severed to attempt an escape. As Hanna starts to drink from a canteen, the captive leaps up and sprints; the double-baldric breaks free, but enough strength remains to yank Hanna's wrist, causing her to spill the contents of the canteen over herself.

With barely a pause, Rob flings a shuriken at the escaping captive. It embeds itself deep in her calf; with a wail of pain, the captive falls flat on her face. In desperation, she begins to pull herself along the ground awkwardly, bound wrists making the task more difficult. A heavy weight slams into the small of her back, pinning her to the ground. A vicious growl fills her remaining ear; she starts to weep as she realises the futility of her actions.

"You made me spill my drink," Hanna states menacingly, her growling granting the statement a malevolent undertone. Extending the claws of one hand, she digs deep into the shuriken wound.

"_I'm sorry! I'm sorry!_" the captive screams in agony.

"You going to behave from now on?" Hanna demands, digging her claws deeper.

"_Yes! Anything you say!_"

"Good." Hanna removes her fingers from the shuriken wound; the captive's screaming stops, replaced by a frantic sobbing of both relief and resignation to her fate. Hanna wipes the blood from her claws on the captive's hair, then stands and makes way for Rob to remove the shuriken and clean and dress the wound.

"Count yourself lucky," Rob assures as he tends to the captive; she yelps weakly as the shuriken is removed. "Hanna held back; can you imagine how much pain you'd be in if she didn't?"

Hanna fixes Rob with a quizzical look, miming _I didn't hold back though_. Rob winks back to her, miming _I know_; Hanna smiles in understanding.


	7. Chapter 7

Late evening; the now silent and limping captive had led Hanna and Rob to the entrance of an underground bunker, coming to a halt ten feet from the entrance. The bunker shows signs of being abandoned many years past; Hanna and Rob exchange confused looks.

"We're here," the captive murmurs reluctantly.

"Are you serious?" Hanna demands; the captive cowers slightly, faintly whimpering.

"This place looks totally deserted," Rob concludes, slowly drawing his sai, going to great lengths to make the action as loud as possible.

"We're here," she repeats, so quiet she's almost inaudible.

"What do you think, Rob?" Hanna asks.

"Well, while we're here," Rob sighs, "we may as well take a look around."

"Plus it's a good place to leave a corpse," Hanna adds.

"So," Rob asks the captive, taking hold of her arm, "how do we get in?"

Rob drags the captive to the door, Hanna following close behind. At first, the captive is unresponsive. Hanna digs her claws lightly into the captive's shoulder; the captive recoils, her attention returning to the present. She locates a hidden handle; the bunker door slides open with a vicious grating sound, sticking just wide enough for one to get through at a time. Inside, there is a dim light, as if from an emergency lighting system.

"This might not be a total waste after all," Hanna declares. "After you," she adds, addressing the captive.

* * *

The captive leads Hanna and Rob deep within the bunker. The maze of dimly-lit corridors seems never ending, and it's almost impossible to tell one corridor from another. The captive appears to be having no problem navigating though.

"How do you know where you're going?" Hanna asks the captive; the captive doesn't answer.

"She asked you a question," Rob encourages; the captive continues her silence.

"I think we broke her," Hanna theorises a moment later.

"Then she won't be much help to us; may as well dispose of her now," Rob suggests; his cheeky smile cannot be seen by the captive.

"Secret markings," the captive mutters, quiet and monotone.

"Ah, she's started working again," Hanna jokes. "Saves me the trouble of fixing her."

A few moments later, the captive leads her captors into a small empty chamber, halting in the middle.

"I assume whatever is here is invisible," Rob remarks.

The captive starts to laugh, at first barely audible, steadily getting louder and more confident.

"It wasn't _that_ funny," Rob mutters.

"I don't think she's laughing at your terrible joke," Hanna cautions.

"Correct," confirms a new voice; Hanna and Rob tense as they feel the tips of knives on the bases of their spines.


	8. Chapter 8

"A torn calf and a shredded ear is a small price to pay for such a delicious victory," the female Elemental gloats, turning to face her former captors. "The fox and hare that destroyed an entire organisation of highly-trained militia, brought down by a couple of lowly guards. Now hand over the Crystals."

"This one?" Hanna asks, pointing at her Fire Crystal. "I don't think so."

"Hand them over," the female demands, "or my colleague will paralyse you permanently."

"What do you think Hanna?" Rob asks. "Should we comply?"

"You can if you want," Hanna replies. "I want to see if knife-boy has the guts to go through with it."

"Then we'll take them when we've crippled you instead," the female declares; she signals to her colleague. The male thrusts the knives with all his strength.

The Crystals activate.

The blades of the knives disappear, one vaporised, the other absorbed into quicksilver armour. The male staggers back in disbelief, clutching at his severely burned hand, knife handles clattering to the floor.

"Advantage us," Hanna growls with pleasure, voice augmented by a deep undertone.

* * *

Three hours later, Hanna and Rob, back to normal, finally find their way back to the bunker entrance. Dispatching the ambitious ex-guards had taken a scant few seconds; it was only after creating two charred bodies that they realised they didn't know their way around the bunker complex.

"About time," Hanna sighs in relief.

"Good to see the sky again," Rob agrees, "even if it is raining."

"It's warm and dry in here; we could rest the night, and leave for home at sunrise."

"Beats wandering around in the dark, getting wet. Well, you getting wet."

"Why me?"

"Because I'm using your cloak, remember?"

"Oh yeah."

Hanna retreats from the entrance a short way; she spots a small room, big enough for two to sleep in reasonable comfort. "In here?"

Rob joins her by the door to the room. "Works well enough for me. Though it could do with a bit of padding."

"No, you can't use my tail as a pillow," Hanna smiles in jest.

"I was going to use your cloak actually," Rob retorts.

"I guess it's only fair; after all, I did shred yours."

They settle down for the night, Rob using Hanna's folded cloak as a pillow, Hanna emptying the rucksack to the same end. Eyes closed, they relax; their breathing slows as they allow themselves to succumb to fatigue.

"Do you think the Crystals are starting to corrupt us?" Rob asks after a lengthy silence.

"No," Hanna answers with certainty. "Now shush."

"It's just, every time they activate, it feels… easier somehow."

"We're just getting used to them, that's all."

"And the number of people we've killed using those powers…"

"We're assassins, remember?" Hanna yawns. "Now shush and go to sleep."

_Assassins aren't this indiscriminate_, Rob thinks. _Yet, together, we've wiped out an entire cult. What worries me most though, is how casually you're treating this whole affair…_


End file.
